Ryder's Angel

Chapter Twenty-Five: Lament: Angeline

Chapter Twenty-Five: Lament: Angeline

I woke screaming.

I was having nightmares again. They were always the same: Danny coming to save me, only to be killed by Hex; Ethan kidnapped by Slayer. They plagued my thoughts, my dreams, burned raw in my memory. I hated them so much, but each time they came back, I couldn’t wake myself up. I couldn’t stand being away from either of them, not knowing how they were. The same went for my brother – how was he, was he hurt? Was Danny keeping an eye on him?

I always remembered the devastation I left behind. The dead, the wounded, the dying; the blood and tears, claws and teeth. It made my heart twist so hard I couldn’t breathe. I was taken away from many things.

But even compared to life at the orphanage now, my new place here at Sand Island was a living hell. I got my own room, delicious food, clean yet indecent clothes – anything and everything I needed or desired. Hutch, the mutant leader, proved that when I asked for a diamond encrusted toothbrush. Of course, the only thing I wanted was to be free, but that was the one wish I was denied.

I was allowed to roam Hutch’s Renaissance-style mansion with enough rooms to house a few thousand people, but nowhere else. Which included outside the mansion, in the village where the men lived, or anywhere else I could have a chance to escape. Hutch had a few female maids, but they were silly, dull girls who didn’t know the first thing about fighting. They gave me hostile looks like I was a traitor, sometimes one of envy or pity, but they were hardly noticed.

The dozens of men that sauntered the halls, including Slayer and Hex, were what bothered me. I was the first woman who wasn’t a maid to live here and the men clearly liked it. Each time they would see me and do something of the following: check me out, wolf whistle, do some sort of trick with their powers, grab my butt, or try to kiss me. Usually they never got away with kissing me, for that ability was solely for Danny only – they walked away with a bloody nose or black eye – but I never got away. Hutch constantly scolded me to not use any violence or he’ll put me in a collar – one that restricts me from using my powers. I swore to myself I’ll never be put in one of those ever again. I only beat up the men who got much too touchy.

It wasn’t the worst. One day, I overheard Hutch and Slayer talking to someone who sounded like a doctor.

“You’ll do a full body scan,” Hutch was instructing. His voice was deep and full of authority, smug, and egocentric. “I want to know everything about her.”

“Yes, sir,” the doctor said quietly.

Then Slayer growled in his raspy voice, “Why, Hutch? What so special about this woman? Just hang her, send her to the humans – she’s an angel. Did you see the trouble she caused a week ago?”

“Of course I did,” the mutant leader snapped. “But she is the key. I need an heir.”

That was all I heard, all I wanted to hear, for I ran off. I tossed myself onto the massive four-poster bed in my room and sobbed. Hutch wanted an heir. He planned to use me. I knew if I refused, he would threaten to use the collar – or send men to kill everyone in the orphanage. He’d said that many times, too, but he didn’t know about Danny or Ethan yet. I didn’t really have a choice to refuse, but there had to be a way. I couldn’t let this happen. Maybe he’d change his mind when the doctor did his body scan on me? Maybe if I begged him not to? No, nothing would be enough.

A day later, there was a knock on my door. I stopped eating my fancy breakfast and stared at it, listening.

“Ang, my lovely, are you awake? I have someone to meet you.”

I pushed back my hair, pulled down the short silk nightgown, and opened the door. I put on a fake smile. “Good morning, Hutch,” I greeted in a falsely happy voice just dripping with sarcasm.